PSY333H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Autonomic Nervous System, Adrenal Cortex, Immunosuppression
Document Summary
Stress plays a role in mental disorders, as both a causal factor and an outcome of disordered thought and disrupted interpersonal relationships. Stress= a threat, real or implied, to the psychological or physiological integrity of a person. Common definition of stress= how the body copes with psychosocial, environmental, an physical challenges. Su(cid:271)je(cid:272)ti(cid:448)e e(cid:454)perie(cid:374)(cid:272)e of stress does(cid:374)(cid:859)t al(cid:449)a(cid:455)s raise (cid:858)stress (cid:373)ediators(cid:859) => (cid:272)ortisol a(cid:374)d (cid:272)ate(cid:272)hola(cid:373)i(cid:374)es. Stress mediators can be adaptive to survival, or if activated for extended periods of time, can be pathophysiological immunosuppression to obesity, hypertension, and atherosclerosis) Activation of autonomic nervous system and the adrenocortical system is helpful in the short run, but activated all the time (long run) then can cause damage to the body and make it prone to disease. Affect of these hormones when under chronic stress. Hormones secreted during stress= protective effects in the short run. But damaging effects over longer time intervals (caused by stressful life or dysfunctional regulation of hormone secretion)